


Shared Fates

by Captain_Savvy



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Knitquisition, Lighthearted, Modern Girl in Thedas, Skyhold, friends - Freeform, meetings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-11
Updated: 2018-09-11
Packaged: 2019-07-11 03:34:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15963842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Captain_Savvy/pseuds/Captain_Savvy
Summary: An entertaining meeting between two women with shared fates. Tamsyn and Alva are both from a modern earth, but have been dropped into Thedas by similar circumstances. This is their first meeting!





	Shared Fates

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SnippetsRUs](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SnippetsRUs/gifts), [Auriana Valoria (AuriV1)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuriV1/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Out Of the Blue](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14794971) by [SnippetsRUs](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SnippetsRUs/pseuds/SnippetsRUs). 



> This is my part of a writing trade with SnippetsRUs. They requested a meeting between Alva from their story, Out of the Blue, and Tamsyn from From the Beyond (by AuriV1) :) 
> 
> Out of the Blue: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14794971/chapters/34228365
> 
> From the Beyond: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11363274/chapters/25436658

Tamsyn Ashworth sat in her private quarters studying an old Tevinter book. It was another gift from Dorian (no surprise, with all the time he spent in Skyhold's library). The dusty tome was beginning to give her a headache; though it had offered some interesting information, it had not been entirely helpful as of yet, and the language was frustrating to read. When the blast of the gatehouse horn echoed through the keep she was actually glad of the respite, and she sat back with a relieved breath. Any excuse to take a break- and it was likely that what was outside her room would be far more mind-boggling than the ancient book. In fact, she was vastly curious and excited.  
  
As she quit her room she thought back to the message that had arrived for the Inquisitor a few weeks ago. One of the agents that Maxwell had recruited would be arriving with her company and new volunteers for the cause. Tamsyn knew little about Alva, except that she was- apparently- from Earth. When Maxwell had told her about this woman she had nearly fainted at hearing the news. Someone else had survived, and ended up in Thedas! That meant there could be more. And what was even stranger, was the fact that apparently this woman was a mage. Or a witch. The Inquisitor had not been very clear. Tamsyn could hardly wait to meet her, to talk to her, to see how their experiences were the same or different. To be able to embrace a bit of her destroyed home, even if through a stranger. Though of course, there was the chance that this Alva was a spy and was not from Earth at all…  
  
When she arrived to the courtyard she found Josephine and Leliana there waiting with Maxwell, along with soldiers and a few servants ready to attend to the needs of the visitors. Cullen was not present; he was currently buried under a mountain of paperwork, and was unlikely to join them anytime soon. Tamsyn worried that the lack of fresh air would only make his lyrium-withdrawal headaches worse, but there was no convincing him to take a break.  
  
 The portcullis was slowly raised, metal clanging and scraping as the way was opened. The sound of many hooves upon the bridge beyond could be heard. Tamsyn sidled up to the ambassador’s side and took a deep breath to calm her nerves.  
  
“I believe Lady Alva is our arriving guest,” Josie said with a smile, “I am certainly curious about her.”   
  
“You’re not the only one,” Tamsyn returned with a nervous laugh, linking her hands at the small of her back and adopting a professional stance. Leliana said nothing, but offered an encouraging smile. The three women waited with the Inquisitor, and after a few nervous minutes, their visitors appeared.   
  
At the head of the group was a large halla. Tamsyn couldn’t help the small gasp of pleasure when she beheld it; she had not yet seen one of the majestic beasts, and it was more beautiful than she had imagined. It boasted a pure snowy hide and spiraled horns. The rider of the halla was even more startling. A human woman sat astride the white animal, with what appeared to be… squirrels?? … perched on her honey-blonde head. More of the fuzzy rodents sat on her shoulders and upon the rump of the halla. Tamsyn heard Josephine’s small cough of surprise and glanced over to see her hiding a smile behind her hand.   
  
“The Inquisitor did say she was a character,” the ambassador said.   
  
“That she is,” Maxwell grinned.  
  
Tamsyn looked at the person riding next to Alva on horseback, and was at first stricken by a sense of familiarity. When realization dawned, she leaned over to Leliana in surprise.   
  
“Is that..?”  
  
“Zevran Arainai,” The Nightingale said, her voice giving nothing of her personal thoughts away, “Formerly of the Antivan Crows. But I am sure you know this.”   
  
Alva and Zevran slowed their mounts as their group came up behind them. Riding horses, ponies and a halla of various sizes were a dwarf woman, a burly bearded human warrior, a female Qunari with a staff at her back, a male dwarf, and a slender elven woman in clearly dalish garments. Bringing up the rear was a large horse pulling a wagon… full of elderly women. These ladies were all bundled up in warm blankets, and they were furiously knitting.   
  
“Well… that is certainly an entrance,” Josephine commented softly, before accompanying Maxwell forward as the new arrivals began to dismount. The squirrels leapt from Alva and settled on the halla’s back. They watched everything with their small eyes, fluffy tails twitching and flicking.   
  
“Welcome to Skyhold, Alva!” Maxwell said, throwing his arms wide with a flourish, “I’m so glad you could come. I hope you had a good journey?”   
  
“Woooow,” Alva barely noticed Maxwell. She was too busy looking around her, her eyes wide as she drank in the sight of the fortress. She turned in circles where she stood, gazing up and down and everywhere. “It’s so big! Everything is so amazing! Oh, there’s your tower! Hey, can you jump off the balcony without getting hurt?”   
  
Tamsyn snorted softly as she tried not to laugh. Of course. In the game, the inquisitor could fall from any height without taking damage.   
  
“I… haven’t tried?” Maxwell raised a questioning eyebrow as he reached out to grasp her wrist in greeting, “I’d rather not, to be honest.”   
  
“Yeah, that’s probably for the best.” The young woman smiled, “I should let you know that just on the way here, we saw the Inquisition’s presence everywhere. You’ve done a lot for the people out there, and we’re happy to help however we can.”   
  
“Including knitting?” The Inquisitor winked and grinned, “We’re certainly grateful to have you.”  
  
Alva then noticed the advisors standing nearby. Excitement lit up her eyes when she looked at the spymaster. “Oh! Leliana! I mean, Sister Nighthawk. Nightingale? And this must be Jolene… the ambassador! And…. Tasmania? Tabby? Sorry, the Inquisitor told me about you but I’m terrible with names.”   
  
“Tamsyn,” The soothsayer replied when she finally found her voice, and reached out to shake Alva’s hand, “Welcome to Skyhold.”  
  
“Thanks. Here, this is Zevran,” Alva motioned for her companion to come forward, “Though, I bet you already knew that.”   
  
“It is a pleasure to meet you,” the elf offered a handsome smile as he took Tamsyn’s hand. Despite it was gloved, he pressed his lips against her knuckles in a light kiss, “And to be welcomed into such a divine fortress as a guest instead of a prisoner is a great pleasure as well.”   
  
“You have not done anything to cross the Inquisition, have you?” Leliana said with a smile, eyes glittering, “It is good to see you again Zevran.”   
  
“And you as well, my lovely lady.” The assassin had a smile for the nightingale, that of someone greeting an old friend. He was debonair as he said hello to Josephine in the same way as Tamsyn, but when introductions were through he immediately returned to Alva’s side. By the way he hovered so near to her, and the adoring light in his eyes as he watched how she eagerly admired her new setting, Tamsyn could easily guess that they were a couple.   
  
_Maxed out his approval, I see_ , she thought jokingly to herself, but the thought did warm her heart.  
  
“Please, Lady Alva, introduce us to the rest of your company,” Josephine urged, “And, your passengers?”  
  
“Oh, this is the Knitquisition!” Alva said with a broad grin as she gestured to the wagon.   
  
“The Knitquisition?” Josephine asked quizzically, “How clever…”  
  
“Well you see, these little old ladies want to help the cause, and knitting is what they’re best at. All I ask is that they have a place to stay, a warm room to work in, and plenty of hot tea to drink.”  
  
“Except for the tiny Fereldan granny in the back,” Zevran added in a low voice, “She likes whiskey when she knits. Drunkenness and large needles, a poor combination really.”   
  
“Don’t make fun of her,” Alva elbowed him in the side playfully, “You’re just still jealous because she made me a scarf, and not you.”   
  
Alva then went on to name her other comrades. Carla, Hissera, Ser Marcel, Thorin, and Siona. Greetings were traded, welcomes were given, and polite chatter began to fill the air as the two crowds mingled. Servants came forward. Some began to lead the various mounts to the stables.  Others took the guest’s luggage and offered to lead them to their rooms where they could bathe and rest after their journey. Still others came to assist the elderly ladies from their wagon.  
  
Tamsyn was still flummoxed by the newcomer and her odd company. Certainly there was something mysterious and strange about Alva, but she still couldn’t say for sure if she were really an earthling like herself. As though reading her mind, the young woman approached her suddenly.   
  
“I bet there’s a lot we could talk about,” she said, lowering her voice, “Like I said, Maxwell told me a little about you, when he found out where I’m from. It’s been almost a year since it happened, huh? The world ending, I mean. Our world, not Thedas. By Hecate, I hope this one won’t explode too.”   
  
Alva’s grin dimmed for a moment as she took on a grim look, and Tamsyn could see the regret and sadness in her eyes. It echoed what she often still felt herself, when she allowed her mind to wander back to her old home, family and friends. But that was still not quite enough to convince her.  
  
“One question,” Tamsyn said, tilting her head slightly, “May I ask where your accent is from?”  
  
“Norway,” the response was nearly a whisper, “And yours is easy. American.”   
  
That settled it. Alva truly was from Earth, and had shared her strange fate. Tamsyn felt such a rush of emotion she thought she might collapse; what did this mean? Were there others? Could there be someone from earth helping their enemies? The possibilities were nearly overwhelming…but the advisor cleared her throat and forced herself to remain calm.  
  
“It’s been hard… but it looks like both of us are survivors. We’ll definitely have to get together and talk… I know we both have questions, and maybe some answers….”  
  
“You two ladies can chatter as much as you like, after I have sufficiently pampered you, mi armor,” Zevran suddenly cut in, coming up behind Alva and wrapping his arms around her waist, and speaking softly against her ear, “I know you are tired. But not too tired for me, I hope.”   
  
Alva’s cheeks reddened with pleasure, and Tamsyn couldn’t help but smile. Yes, this was certainly the Zevran she remembered.   
  
“Go on and get settled. We can swap stories later.”  
  
“Awesome,” Alva nodded, “I can’t wait to hear how you got in with the Inquisition.”   
  
“Mostly luck.” Tamsyn chuckled a little, “And Alva- I really am glad that you’re here. It’s … well, just to meet someone else who…”  Her voice trailed off, as she couldn’t find the right words.   
  
“I know, and I agree.” Alva smiled in understanding as she turned to join Zevran in heading toward the Keep Proper, “I’m looking forward to getting to know you, Tamsyn.”   
  
The advisor watched with a shuddering breath as their guests headed off to their quarters. This was not what she had expected, even knowing what Maxwell had told her beforehand. It hadn’t seemed like a real possibility until now. She was lost in her thoughts there, standing in the courtyard as the crowd dispersed, when she suddenly became aware of a warm presence behind her. She glanced back to see that Cullen had actually dared to leave the darkness of his office.   
  
“Are you alright, Tamsyn?” he asked, always the concerned gentleman, “Is what the Inquisitor said about her true…?”  
  
“Yes,” she confirmed with a slow nod, “And honestly, I don’t know what it means for me, or for the Inquisition… but I think Alva and I are going to become great friends.”


End file.
